Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a way to connect a farmer to the surrounding community. Supporting community members become share holders in the farm, sharing both the financial risks and convenient healthy benefits of homegrown produce. The relationship gives consumers input and choices about the type and quality of produce they eat and how it’s grown. Variety and often quality are lacki
ng at national chain grocery stores that ship produce long distances and have the company’s bottom line as their top priority. CSA supports the small family farm by eliminating the middleman and removing layers of marketing and communication between consumers and farmers. The consumer tells the farmer what they want, and the farmer can focus on providing quality and variety without worrying about being able to sell their produce and make their monthly payment. A steady season-long stream of fresh and good produce eliminates consumers’ questions and concerns about where was my food grown? Is it ripe? CSA’s usually focus on organic or low spray production methods raising a variety of crops in such a way that is as sustainable and as good for the environment and soil as possible. Because members tend to prefer a wide variety of veggies and herbs, this encourages rotation and integrated cropping that reduces risks of total crop failure (the kind that can spell disaster for farms). A CSA is an invitation to participate-in and revive the concept of the family community garden of yesteryear where people ate local food produced in their community by themselves and people they know. This was commonplace in generations past before the megamarket and corporate farm concepts. So Why now? Why CSA? Prior to (and to some extent during my years in public service) I was a produce farmer on my family’s 6 generation farm. I have always had garden plots designed for sharing with friends and families. The CSA concept is appealing as a way to maintain the farm and return to growing and sharing vegetables with friends and family without as many marketing and financial challenges of supporting a farm and farm family on a small acreage. In the end, I would like to get back to my roots and am seeking input and feedback from potential share holders in Gibson and the surrounding counties. I don’t know if there will be enough interest to make CSA work in Southern Indiana, but I have read how it has worked in the Northeast and have visited the CSA that my son in Florida belongs to for myself. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. So I invite you to post to my Facebook wall here and tell me what you think. Please tell me if you’re interested and give input on how to tune the variety of tasty veggies that will be grown to attract the most interest and buy in. Have a favorite heirloom tomato variety? That’s what I want to know and that’s what I want to grow. I plan to start small and do some trial farm shares this year (2011) and see what happens. People interested in paying up front and some pay as you go are welcome to email me or post on this page. For the future, I can envision farm visits and family activities including a spring antique tractor plough day, fall pick-your-pumpkin hay ride, or perhaps an annual summer corn boil and tomato harvest dinner as ways we plan to connect with our community of supporters. Where enough supporters are identified (like a place of work) “shares” will be distributed weekly at a convenient location. Share holders will pick up their grocery bags containing a variety of the produce depending on what’s ready and season. Extra goodies, like watermelons, will occasionally be added to the share from other neighboring farms in my area. I’m interested in seeing if excess produce can be donated to the needy through a foodbank or local Share Our Strength type of organization. (post ideas for this too)
If you have any questions or want to contact me, send email to [email protected]. I hope to hear from you soon. Allen Harmon, Farmer
Benefit to the farm:
upfront income for seeds fertilizer operating budget
knowing what the consumer wants before I plant
growing while encouraging land stewardship
having a reliable market for goods
Benefit to the share holder:
farm fresh produce grown and picked by someone you know
high quality and a variety of produce through the season
produce at below retail pricing, keeps dollars in the community
healthy low or no spray food
fun farm activities
Crops I grow in my garden and what we can expand from:
radish
green onion
leaf lettuce
zucchini squash
green beans
sugar snap peas
spinach
carrots
yellow squash
heirloom grape cherry and juice tomato
cucumbers
hot and sweet peppers
cabbage
broccoli
red potato
Yukon gold potato
sweet corn
beets
assorted greens
cantaloupe and watermelon
eggplant
pumpkin
